Documenting a DB schema

["Shahaf Abileah" <shahaf(at)redfin(dot)com>]

I’m looking for a systematic way to document the schema for the database behind our website (www.redfin.com), so that the developers using this database have a better idea what all the tables and columns mean and what data to expect.  Any recommendations?

 

It would be great if the documentation could be kept as close to the code as possible – that way we stand a chance of keeping it up to date.  So, in the same way that Java docs go right there on top of the class or method definitions, it would be great if I could attach my comments to the table definitions. It looks like MySQL has that kind of capability:

 

            create table table_with_comments(a int comment 'this is column a...');

 

(see http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/create-table.html)

 

However, Postgres doesn’t support the “comment” keyword.  Is there an alternative?

 

Thanks,

 

--S

 

Shahaf Abileah | Lead Software Developer

shahaf(at)redfin(dot)com | tel: 206.859.2869 | fax: 877.733.3469

Redfin Corporation
710 2nd Ave
Suite 600
Seattle, WA 98104